Tampa Bay takes Florida S Ahmad Black in the fifth round

GAINESVILLE – Ahmad Black knew it would be nerve racking, but as the third round of the NFL Draft came and went Friday his anxiety grew.

The fourth round passed on Saturday with the Florida safety still waiting. It wasn't until midway through the fifth round that Black's favorite team ended the worrying.

Tampa Bay chose Black with the 151st overall pick, keeping the 5-foot-9, 184-pound safety from Lakeland close to home.

"I was a little worried, I'm not going to lie. Everybody said it was going to be nerve racking," Black said. "I almost pulled out all my hair

"It's crazy. … It's like a dream come true."

While Black was one of Florida's best players as a senior, he was tabbed as too slow and too small. He ran a 4.7-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was projected to go as high as the third round but dropped as scouts looked at measurables and projections over game tape.

"Ahmad's a special football player, and most importantly when teams evaluate, they're going to look at the tape," said Joel Segal, Black's agent, before the draft. "I think every decision maker that I've ever spoken to about Ahmad has clearly indicated that he's a playmaker, a guy they'd like to have on their team."

Black was the third Gator drafted this year after center Mike Pouncey taken in the first round (15th overall) by Miami and tackle Marcus Gilbert was taken in the second round (63rd overall) by Pittsburgh. He is the seventh safety in Gators history to be drafted.

"I've done a lot, a lot, a lot. And people always doubted me about my size," he said. "Definitely, that's one of the biggest reasons. As frustrating as it is, I've just got to live with that."

Black grew up a Bucs fan, and his aunt, Sabrina Collins, was a cheerleader in Tampa Bay.

The Gators defensive leader as a senior finished his career tied for first in the SEC with 13 interceptions. He led Florida with 108 tackles last year, 32 more than any other teammate.

He was an second-team All-American pick by the AP, first-team All-American pick by Rivals.com and honorable mention All-American selection by Sports Illustrated.

Black also was a consensus first-team All-SEC pick by the coaches, AP and Phil Steele.

Black was voted as MVP of the Outback Bowl after recording six tackles and two interceptions, the second of which he returned 80 yards for a touchdown to seal the win over Penn State.

He led the team with five interceptions and 171 interception-return yards and recorded at least six tackles in 10 of 13 games.